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Meze in Cyprus

Meze – gastronomic heaven for the indecisive – is as widespread a concept in Cyprus as it is in the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean region. The traditions associated with the serving of a sequence of little 'finger food' portions of numerous dishes vary from place to place, the most prominent common one being that they are designed to be eaten as an accompaniment to alcohol, often in company. Aside from the dishes you might already feel safe with, such as crispy calamari, stuffed vine leaves, grilled halloumi cheese, moussaka and souvlaki, look out for things you really can't get at home: flavoursome sheftalia herb sausages, stifado (beef stew), afelia (pork and potatoes in red wine sauce) and yemista (stuffed vegetables), to name but a few. You'll most likely be encouraged to try your many dishes interspersed with sips of crisp, tangy aniseed 'Raki' or 'Ouzo' (also called 'Lion's Milk' when mixed with water). Don't miss out on the loukoumades (little honey donuts) and the baklava, kadeifi and galatopureko (sweet pastries made with nuts, honey and flower waters).

Many non-meat-eaters worry that discovering traditional foods of this sort off the beaten track will leave them with few options, but vegetarian meze options are popular even away from Aiya Napa and the other main resorts, and if you're a seafood lover you'll be more than satisfied with the fare on offer at quiet fishing villages such as Zygi and Maroni on the South coast.